As DeSantis Exits Race, Haley Questions Trump's Mental Fitness

Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the presidential race on Sunday, leaving Nikki Haley and Donald Trump to contend for the Republican presidential nomination. 

"While this campaign has ended, the mission continues down here in Florida," said DeSantis.

The Florida governor threw in the towel in a video on the social media site "X," where he also pledged his support for Trump. Once considered a top contender against the former president, DeSantis pulled out after slumping into the single digits in New Hampshire, two days before the state's primary election.   

"He (Trump) has my endorsement because we can't go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear, a repackaged form of warmed-over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents. The days of putting Americans last, of kowtowing to large corporations, of caving to woke ideology are over."

In a December interview with CBN Chief Political Analyst David Brody, DeSantis seemed to acknowledge he couldn't overtake Trump. 

"I would say, if I could have one thing change: I wish Trump hadn't been indicted on any of this stuff," said DeSantis. 

Brody then asked if he felt the indictment helped Trump's campaign. "Both that: but then it also has just crowded out so much other stuff and it sucked out a lot of oxygen," DeSantis clarified. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a campaign event, Jan. 20, 2024, in Florence, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)

rump secured another endorsement over the weekend: former Republican presidential candidate and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. 

"Is this Donald Trump country?" asked Sen. Scott to a room full of Trump supporters. "We need Donald Trump now – we need a president who will unite our country." 

Now it's down to two vying for the Republican ticket. Nikki Haley – Trump's former ambassador to the UN – is now questioning Trump's mental fitness after he seemed to confuse her with former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. 

"He went on and on, mentioned my name multiple times, about the fact that I stopped people from being secure on January 6th," Haley explained. "I wasn't in D.C. on January 6th. I had nothing to do with the Capitol."

She says it's not the first time he has referenced the wrong person. 

"He said multiple times that he ran against President Obama, he didn't run against President Obama," said Haley. "These things happen because, guess what? When you're 80, that's what happens. You're just not as sharp as you used to be. This is not personal. Y'all know I voted for him twice. I was proud to serve in his administration. This is the fact that we have a country in disarray and a world on fire. And we need to know that we are not giving our kids options of two 80-year-olds going into a presidency."

In New Hampshire, residents of The Granite State are carefully considering their choices. 

"Right now, I'm still up in the air because I want to see who is the best," said one independent voter. 

"I will do everything I can to make sure that we don't have a repeat performance from our previous president," said another. 

Trump holds approximately 50% of support among Republicans in New Hampshire. Haley is polling at 39%. Voters go to the polls there on Tuesday.